Earn Delta Miles with Your Starbucks Orders—Here’s How

If you're a loyal customer of both Starbucks and Delta Air Lines, your iced coffee habit could potentially score you a free flight—or at least bring you closer to elite status.

In October 2022, the airline and coffee giant announced a partnership that lets customers earn Delta SkyMiles (Delta’s frequent flyer points) on Starbucks purchases. For every dollar spent at Starbucks, Delta loyalty members earn one mile. In turn, Starbucks loyalty members can earn double Stars (Starbucks points) on purchases made while flying with Delta.

There’s a catch regarding eligible Starbucks purchases: they must be for food, drinks, or merchandise. Starbucks gift cards won’t qualify for bonus miles. However, purchases can be made via the app or in-store. This program is open to both existing and new loyalty members.

To incentivize participation, both brands are offering a promotion for customers who link their accounts by March 31, 2023. Those who merge their memberships will instantly earn 500 bonus SkyMiles, and upon their first Starbucks purchase, they’ll gain an additional 200 Stars. For reference, 200 Stars, according to the Starbucks website, can get you a few drip coffees, hot teas, or bakery items (costing around 50 Stars each), or one espresso drink or breakfast sandwich (redeemable for 150 Stars). So even if you prefer your local coffee shop, linking your account might be worthwhile for a free last-minute coffee run—especially on those early flight days when the global coffee chain is your only option.

Starbucks isn’t the only non-airline partner for Delta. Delta customers can also boost their SkyMiles by linking their accounts to Lyft (a ride-sharing service), Instacart (a grocery delivery platform), and various car rental, hotel, and shopping partners.

How to connect your Starbucks and Delta accounts

Visit deltastarbucks.com to complete the form. You’ll need to provide your first and last name along with the account numbers for both your Starbucks and Delta accounts. Once you agree to the terms and conditions, your accounts will be linked automatically. To earn points and miles, purchases must be made using a linked payment method, a preloaded Starbucks Card associated with your Starbucks Rewards account, or by scanning the barcode in the Starbucks mobile app before checkout.